It is a true pleasure when a movie lives up to the hype that
surrounds it. Shawn Levy directs an astounding film that is a true blockbuster
in every sense of the word. This film is a modern sports science fiction tale
which is full of emotion, action and phenomenal special effects. The main
character of this story is a man named Charlie Kenton who used to be a
professional boxer, but in the year 2020 humans have been replaced by robots in
boxing. Hugh Jackman portrays this flawed human being as a man who has lost
what gave him a true purpose in life and a person who has made many bad choices
along the way. Charlie adapts to this harsh new reality by buying robots and
making them fight in illegal underground boxing matches so that he can pay his
debts, but lately his debts keep piling in and he seems to be running out of
options on how to support himself.
Suddenly, Charlie
finds out that his ex-girlfriend has died and that he must attend a meeting in
order to decide who will get custody of his estranged son Max. When Charlie
gets to the meeting he finds out that Max’s aunt Debra and her wealthy husband
Marvin want full custody of the boy. Being desperate for money Charlie makes a
secret deal with Marvin in which he agrees to hand over his son to him and his
wife in exchange for a large sum of money. However, Marvin and Debra have to go
on a trip and Charlie must take care of the boy for three months. Max is a kid
who has some bitterness in his heart, because he knows that his father was never
there for him because he isn’t a reliable person. Charlie is a man who runs
away from the things that he doesn’t want to face because he doesn’t know how
to deal with the consequences of his actions. Both characters are at a
crossroads in this particular point in time and they are both trying to find
something that will improve their lives.
There is an
evident sense of animosity between Charlie and his son Max. However, Charlie's
friend Bailey Tallet acts as the voice of reason for this father and son duo.
Bailey who is portrayed by Evangeline Lilly runs the boxing gym of her deceased
father who trained Charlie when he was a professional fighter. This woman truly
understands Charlie as she has never turned her back on him because she has a
deep sense of loyalty and fondness for this man. When Max shows up Bailey takes
a liking to this young boy because she sees that he is someone who is just
trying to connect with his father in any way that he can. Bailey clearly
understands the importance of family as a parent can guide you through the good
times and the bad times while giving you the necessary support to find your
path in life. The other element that establishes a positive relationship
between Charlie and Max is an old robot named Atom who they find in a junkyard.
This robot was the catalyst that brought a sense of unity and gave these
protagonists a purpose to do something together that they both loved to do.
Common interests can lead you to see just how similar two people can be and by
the end of this film both Charlie and Max clearly understood how important they
were to each other. This movie has a heart of steel as it shows that if you
have the necessary support from the people that you love then you can overcome
any obstacle that stands in your way.
Killer Elite
Living a life which is full of violence
can corrupt the purity of the human soul. In this hostile world, many ruthless
people pay a lot of money to eliminate their enemies. The best contract killers in the business are
lethal and calculated human beings that do not rest until their mission is
completed. A true stone cold killer doesn’t have any pity or remorse for the
people that they kill. On the other hand, as time passes by even the mightiest
killer may be consumed by guilt for all of the horrible deeds which have been
committed in the past.
The protagonist of this film is Jason Statham and he
portrays a vicious assassin named Danny Bryce who is sick and tired of all the
violence and the bloodshed which he has caused. Bryce is a man that is
tormented by his inner demons as he struggles to keep his sanity in a world
that is full of chaos and turmoil. After a lifetime of murder and mayhem, Danny
decides to retire from his dangerous profession. Unfortunately, his mentor
named Hunter who is marvelously portrayed by Robert De Niro is held captive and
this leads Danny to come out of retirement. The best scenes of the entire film
are the ones where we have Robert De Niro and Jason Statham acting together
since both of these actors are truly fun to watch, because it seems that these
men have a genuine charisma which is truly priceless to watch.
Danny slowly learns that if he wants to
save his friend, he must kill at least three members of the British Special Air
Service (SAS). The man who hires Danny to do these dastardly deeds is an
Arabian Sheik who seeks vengeance against these men because they have killed 3
of his sons. Sheik Amr
is a man who has all the wealth in the world, but he is dying. His final
request is that before Bryce kills the men that were responsible for the deaths
of his sons he must make each of them confess to what they did while recording
it. Of course, this threat does not go unnoticed as a former SAS operative
named Spike Logan figures out are what Bryce and his team are up and he decides
to stop them by any means necessary. Clive Owen portrays Spike Logan as a man
who has a bitter mean streak inside his soul. Spike is a former soldier who
doesn’t want a normal life because he considers it to be a dull existence. When
Logan is given a specific mission he feels that his life has a purpose and a
meaning which isn’t worthless. Obviously, we have two polar opposites in Bryce
and Logan as one man wants to disappear without ever harming another person
again while the other man wants to remain active in a world which is full of
death and destruction. Overall, this action film is a battle of will and wits
where one mistake can have serious repercussions in the lives of our
protagonists.
Castelar
